In what is the first official word on an investigation at Hoboken City Hall, city officials said today that they are cooperating with an FBI probe into a "possible" security breach of electronic communications.

In fact, the FBI was at Hoboken City Hall today and "removed equipment," Mark Tabakin, the city's corporation counsel said this afternoon. Tabakin would not say what equipment was taken.

In a terse news release, the city said that "Mayor (Dawn) Zimmer's
office contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation notifying the agency of
the potential breach" and that the FBI has "the full cooperation of the city."

The City Hall release cites federal statute 18 U.S.C. 2511 and 1030, which deal with the unauthorized interception of oral, written or electronic communications, and any fraudulent act committed in connection with it.

The city did not provide any details regarding who sent or received the electronic communications that may have been illegally accessed. Last week the Information Technology office was padlocked shut "to secure city property."

Calls to the FBI in Newark were not immediately returned.

The FBI and the city are asking that anyone with information that may be relevant to this matter to call the FBI's Newark office at (973) 792-3000.